Back then, when Kuroha first transmigrated into this Umamusume world filled with miracles and running, and gradually unraveled that tangled timeline.
While he was still in the "newbie" stage, he'd once had the simplest, most straightforward ambition.
—The moment he got his license, he'd head straight for Kasamatsu and, before anyone else could, take Oguri Cap for himself.
Unfortunately, reality was always harsher than fantasy.
At the time, he was still inexperienced, his capabilities shallow, his perspective narrow.
By the time he finally graduated from the Trainer Academy through sheer effort and obtained a local Trainer license, a full year had already slipped by.
All he could do was stand in front of the TV, listening to the roar of cheers pouring from the screen, helplessly watching that ash-gray monster begin her legendary road and depart for Central.
It was a regret beyond words, like missing out on a hundred million yen.
But now…
Kuroha looked at the ash-gray girl who had already changed into her gym uniform and was walking toward him with light, springy steps, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Time looped around. The gears of fate meshed, then loosened again.
This pearl he had once missed had, in such an unexpected way, returned to his grasp.
Even if it took nearly three years to finally get what he wanted, at this very moment Kuroha's heart held no bitterness at all toward the promise standing before him.
If anything, he even felt a trace of gratitude.
If he really had managed to "snatch" Oguri Cap back then, how would he ever have met Fujimasa March?
A loss may turn out to be a gain.
It was precisely because he had missed Oguri Cap back then that he came to have March, that he went to Oi and met Inari One, that he witnessed the dying afterglow beneath an eternal sky.
And now, Oguri Cap had joined this family as well.
Perhaps this was the best arrangement of all.
"Trainer."
A crisp call snapped Kuroha out of his thoughts.
Oguri Cap stopped in front of him. She wore Central Tracen Academy's gym uniform, her features handsome yet cute in a way that radiated strength.
Those clear, wide eyes glittered with barely contained eagerness.
"What do we do next?"
She clenched one fist, sounding impatient.
"Do we start with ten laps? Or straight into strength training?"
In truth, for a long time, Trainers had all followed certain established rhythms when it came to training.
Oguri Cap had always been curious about that sharp, intense style.
What kind of training could create that kind of qualitative transformation, turning opponents who were once evenly matched into something else entirely?
Before, because they were on different sides, she couldn't exactly ask.
Now, as Kuroha's rightful, official assigned Umamusume, she could finally request guidance openly.
Seeing how eager she was, Kuroha couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't rush, Oguri."
He lifted a hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Becoming stronger isn't something you finish in a day, and it's not achieved through brute force or a fanatic obsession with training intensity."
"Before we begin formal physical training, I need to confirm one thing. Or rather, we need to align our thinking first."
"Thinking? What thinking?"
Oguri Cap blinked, and the little strand of hair at the top of her head bounced as a huge question mark formed over her face.
She genuinely didn't understand. Running was running. Why did she need to think?
A light breeze swept across the training ground, lifting a few fallen leaves.
Kuroha met Oguri Cap's eyes. After a brief silence, he spoke slowly.
"Oguri, in your heart… what is strength?"
"What is… strength?"
Oguri Cap didn't answer right away.
Her pale gray-white eyes tightened slightly, her brows knitting as she seriously searched for an answer.
For a "monster" born into poverty, who had climbed her way up relying on wild instinct.
Most of the time, running didn't require theory. It only required moving her legs and facing every obstacle ahead head-on.
After a moment of silence, Oguri Cap raised her head, tightening the fist at her side.
"Strength… is fast."
She spoke. Her voice hesitated at first, but as the words came out, her tone grew steadier and more resolute.
"It's having speed faster than anyone. It's having stamina that won't run dry even all the way to the finish line. And it's having the ability to explode in the final straight and open up distance instantly."
She looked straight at Kuroha, her eyes shining with a simple, earnest light.
"Like before. As long as my body is strong enough, as long as my legs can still run, I can win. That's strength!"
That was Oguri Cap's logic.
Simple. Direct. Brutal.
And it matched everything she'd lived through.
On the local circuit, and in her early days at Central, she crushed everything with overwhelming physical gifts.
In her understanding, a "wall" was nothing more than muscles not strong enough, lungs not big enough.
Even when she first realized she lacked anything absolute beyond raw physical ability, no decisive technique, no champion-level oppressive presence.
In less than two months, she still obtained the power of Leader's Pride.
She was a genius, but a genius born in barren soil.
When the world around you keeps repeating the same wrong ideas, even if you slowly notice something feels off.
Three short years of True Blooming still wasn't enough to change it.
"Mm. An honest answer."
Kuroha nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying, and he didn't refute her immediately.
He looked at the ash-gray girl who believed in "big strength makes miracles," and spoke slowly, his tone carrying unquestionable authority.
"Physical strength is indeed the foundation of power. Without a good body, all technique is nothing but a castle in the air."
"But…"
Kuroha's tone shifted. He stepped forward, lifted one finger, and lightly tapped the bridge of Oguri Cap's sturdy nose, then pressed against her chest over her heart, and finally pointed at her head.
"Oguri, your physical ability right now actually doesn't lose to March's at all. In some purely functional metrics, you might even be stronger than her."
"Eh?" Oguri Cap froze.
But in races, even when she had plenty of stamina and unleashed her full finishing kick, she still couldn't catch Fujimasa March.
"You're wondering why you still feel like you can't beat her, right?"
Kuroha withdrew his hand. His expression turned solemn, his voice firm beyond dispute.
"Because your strength is lopsided. You rely too much on your body, and you ignore overall coordination."
Under Oguri Cap's bewildered gaze, Kuroha raised three fingers.
"A truly top-tier Umamusume's strength is never just stacked muscle."
"It's the perfect union of 'heart,' 'body,' and 'technique.'"
(End of Chapter)
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